Worthing High School, Worthing

In 2026, pupils at Worthing High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in West Sussex and 47 across England.

46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in West Sussex and 47% in England.

That is down from 48.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.11: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.5, against 46.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Statistics.

For September 2026 entry, 213 families put Worthing High School as their first choice and 844 named it as one of their preferences, for 205 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 20 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Worthing High School are Bohunt School Worthing (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); St Andrew's CofE High School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.7); Davison Church of England High School for Girls, Worthing (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 50.8); and Durrington High School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.4).

Worthing High School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Worthing High School is one of 2 schools run by South Downs Education Trust, an academy trust.

225 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Worthing High School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).

Of the 214 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

15.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Mixed (7%).

In 2026, 147 pupils (14%) received SEN support and 65 (6.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Worthing High School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 41 places, 41 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Worthing Rail Station, about 580 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Worthing High School (adjacent), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Worthing High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 711 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Worthing High School issued 49 suspensions, 4.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Worthing High School are Broadwater CofE Primary School (0.4 miles), Thomas A Becket Junior School (0.5 miles), Heene CofE Primary School (0.5 miles) and St Mary's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.